How to conduct yourself during an exit interview

Industry sources say that exit interviews have yet to take root in the human resources (HR) function of many local businesses, but they are a commonplace in global, multinational companies in the UAE and the rest of the Middle East.

Exit surveys only have one end goal: to get the departing staff member to divulge the real reasons for leaving in order to improve management practices and build a better workplace.

In a fluid labour market like the UAE, attrition rates remain high and many people quit their jobs for a better opportunity. The common refrain HR personnel hear from leavers centre around lack of remuneration, recognition, career progression and concrete job description. There are also issues about uncooperative managers and peer problems.

“The core objective is to understand if there is anything that can be improved within the organisation. This feedback can then be used to correct a pre-existing issue, so that the organisation can retain the existing employees,” said Johnson Alexander, director, human resources and quality, health, safety and environment at Dulsco.

For leavers who have unresolved issues, it may be tempting to use an exit interview as a venue to vent frustrations about company policies or discredit colleagues. Recruitment specialists, however, caution against turning the last sit-down with HR into a rant session, because doing so could endanger one’s career.

Here are some important pointers to keep in mind when an exit survey is in the offing:

Avoid badmouthing anyone

Anything said during exit interviews are supposed to be kept confidential, but in many organisations, this is not the case. Words can travel like wildfire and the employee who is leaving could get into trouble even before the work permit gets the cancellation stamp.

“Badmouthing in any part of the world can get back to the ears of your future employer and your past employer and that’s not a good opinion people want to be making of you as an individual,” James Randall, sales manager, Middle East, at eFinancial Careers, told Gulf News.

“If you remain in the similar industry, the likelihood is a lot of people know everyone and when it comes to things like reference checking and if you have been badmouthing, [it will reflect badly on you]. There’s no need to do it especially in a small market like the UAE.”

Gaj Ravichandra, a psychologist who is the managing partner and co-founder of Kompass Consultancy, said badmouthing is “never seen to be a professional characteristic” of an employee. “Personal issues or gripes with other employees should have been raised by the departing employee to their line manager or HR before they resigned or were asked to leave.”

Present negative feedback constructively

There are many employees who leave their jobs because they are not happy either with their boss, colleagues or the way things are going in their organisation.

If you really feel strongly about certain issues, you don’t have to keep your mouth shut. Try to sound off complaints without burning bridges and instead, make some suggestions on how things can get better and back up your claims with facts.

“If you must air any complaints, then you need to do it in a structured and professional way and stick to the facts,” said Sebastien Stark, principal consultant, banking and financial services at Talent2. “Emotions should not deter you from your end goal and under no circumstances should you lose control.”

So, for instance, you don’t have a good relationship with your boss, don’t just say you dislike your manager. A constructive way of putting the message across is by being more specific as to why you and your supervisor don’t get a long very well. “Keep it fact-based. Don’t let emotions be involved. Deliver the facts as to why and provide clear examples,” advised Randall.

“The feedback should be constructive. Professional organisations understand that information received during exit interviews is a vital feedback that can help improve the work culture,” added Alexander.

If you really want to play it safe when making negative comments, it may be a good idea not to mention names. “If there are areas of improvement to make, the departing employee should aim to provide suggestions and ensure that the responses do not contain specific employee names,” said Ravichandra. Try to focus the answers on improving the system and how it can impact the organisation.

Prepare for the interview

Before heading down to the HR office, it is always recommended that you’re able to anticipate what questions to answer and how to best answer them.

The leaving employee will most likely be asked about the main reason for leaving, what could have been done better or how an individual feels about the organisation.

“Of course, during the conversation, there will be more specific questions pertaining to specific issues brought to the table. At worst, it’s an uncomfortable process, but you will live to fight another day,” Stark said.

It is also a good idea to think about what you’re going to say about your relationship with your colleagues and managers, as well as your career development. “Stay as positive as you can. Talk about your learnings at the organisation and why your stay benefited both you and the [company],” added Alexander.

Stark said it is ideal to write down the key points that you want to address and make sure the discussion remains both structured and objective. “In the end, you want to get your point across while leaving with the possibility of having a good reference going forward. You never know who you will be working with in the future and would not want to compromise that,” he said.   Gulf News